Monday, March 10, 2014

Saying Goodbye


March 8, 2014
Ahna is gone. She left Chiang Mai not on a jet plane, but on a bus with Aaron, her fiancĂ©. This is the catalyst that has started me writing again. I can honestly say with about 90% certainty that I would not be alive today without her, so this is a pretty tough day for me. Her absence will affect me profoundly of course, but it would be untrue to think that I am the only one who will miss her. Ahna left all of us in Chiang Mai, all of us who love her dearly and want the best for her and have shared our lives with her for the past four years. She left us to go start a new story with her new husband, and it is without a doubt the best for her. But that does not make it suck any less. I am just sitting here thinking of all the traumatic things and all of the exciting and happy things I have shared and endured with her over the years. I think I have spent more time with Ahna than with any other person in this country other than Sophie. The ripple effect of her presence in this country, at Taw Saeng and in my life will be everlasting, but the ripple effects of her leaving will be hard to overcome.  I actually think Ahna may be the only person I have ever known who has seen me at my absolute rock bottom worst and loved me anyway. She is a true representation of Christ’s love in this world. Selfishly, I (and all her friends) want her and Aaron to move back here to Thailand after their wedding, but that would mean depriving another place of the awesomeness and impact they could have as a couple. I truly believe that those two will change the world. They’ve already changed mine. 
Rock climbing with the kids and Seal

At a coffee shop near Orawan's in-laws' home stay
Aaron and Ahna in the cheesy Thai "love" pose. Clearly Aaron is totally into it.

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